The present invention relates generally to a profile extrusion die and more particularly to a method for designing a profile extrusion die plate for extruding a polymer resin.
Typically, a profile extrusion die plate is designed by using experimental iterations of experienced-based rules developed by the designer with many cutting trials. In particular, the designer uses rules that have been developed through their experience to derive a die plate design. The derived die plate design is then implemented in an extrusion process and evaluated to determine if cuts of the die land length, die opening thickness, and the die opening width meet the desired profile dimensions. If the dimensions are not met then the die plate must be re-cut so that the desired dimensions can be met. Usually there are many iterations of cutting and then changing the die plate before a die design is derived that yields the desired profile dimensions. This design methodology takes a lot of work and time, and thus the total cycle time from a tooling design to market place will be long and have a high amount of costs associated therewith. In addition, every time the dimensions are changed or a new plastic resin is used in the extrusion process, then the die plate must be redesigned, which involves more time, work, and money. As a result, designers are very reluctant to work with new plastic resins, which hinders the introduction of these resins into the profile extrusion market. Therefore, there is a need for a method that enables a designer to readily design a die plate for shaping products having varying dimensions and for shaping products made from varying types of resins.